Fu Manchu: Harder & Faster
Left to right: Bob Balch (Guitar), Brad Davis (Bass), Scott Reeder (Drums), Scott Hill (Vocals & Guitar). PHOTO: Courtesy
If “That ’70s Show†had a modern day sound track, Fu Manchu would be all over it. The Southern California foursome has been dishing out it’s own ’70s inspired stonersurfer- desertskater metal since 1989. They released their debut single “Kept Between Trees†in 1990, beginning the recruitment of a whole horde of die-hard fans.
I first heard about the band in 1997. Picking up their fourth studio album “The Action Is Go†with Tony Alva (old school skateboarder) on the cover, I joined that horde.
In February their new effort entitled We Must Obey hit the streets and the band hit the road. When I found out they were starting their tour at Slims in San Francisco I was stoked! I never got to see them perform, and what better excuse than to set up an interview with them.
I sat down with guitarist Bob Balch and Bassist Brad Davis in the tiny backstage room of Slims.
FRINGE: How many times have you played Slims?
BOB: This is our third time.
FRINGE: How do you like it?
BRAD: We love it, great food. Gus the cook, he rules!
FRINGE: Are you heading to Europe during this tour?
BRAD: April 26th to June 3rd.
FRINGE: Do you feel your crowds are different here than in Europe?
BOB: They’re bigger. Our fans seem to be pretty consistent all over the world. They all raise their fists and are really into it.
FRINGE: Do you think your new album is harder than the last? Have you gotten more aggro?
BOB: It just kind of came out that way. I‘m probably more mellow than I’ve ever been, the music is just coming out that way.
BRAD: We’re catering to our drummer, ’cause he plays pretty hyper.
BOB: We just had to match his speed.
BRAD: We just had to match his pace, him and his coffee.
FRINGE: Do you still have day jobs?
BRAD: I teach guitar lessons here and there, but otherwise I don’t answer to the man.
BOB: Reeder’s day job is surfing.
FRINGE: What type of advice would you give to struggling musicians?
BRAD: Get ready to not shower, carry merch, and don’t suck!
BOB: Yeah, don’t suck.
FRINGE: What’s the hardest part about being on tour?
BRAD: I would say being away from home. I really enjoy where I live. I love my girlfriend, I love my dog. Your health kind of deteriorates when you’re stuck in a van for six weeks.
FRINGE: Any wild road stories to share?
BRAD: I’m sure we do … I threw up in a sock at a festival in Europe. I threw up in my sock and threw it at a bunch of people.
BOB: You did not!
BRAD: No, I would never do that.
FRINGE: So, are you really in a van or a motorhome?
BRAD: No, it’s a van. It’s got like four benches. We all get to stretch out and stuff.
BOB: It’s pretty comfy. Gas prices suck.
BRAD: Busses are fun, but they start to stink, not that the van doesn’t stink, ’cause we’re all sleeping in the same little box.
BOB: You can’t poop in there.
BRAD: Yeah, you can’t poop in the van. Well, we stop somewhere.
BOB: We’re not into that bottle peeing and bag pooping. Not that it hasn’t been done, but we’re not into it.
FRINGE: What’s your favorite part about being on tour?
BOB: Playing the shows.
BRAD: Shows are fun.
BOB: I can’t imagine getting sick of it.
FRINGE: What are some of your favorite bands out right now?
BRAD: I really like the new High On Fire. We toured with them, it’s really cool. It decapitates people!
BOB: It’s like scary heavy. I like Elope from Sweden. I think that Hill listens to a lot of older stuff, easy action from Detroit. I don’t know what Reeder listens to. When the new Rush comes out he’ll be listening to it.
BRAD: We’ll all be listening to it.
FRINGE: Are there any bands out there that you’d really like to tour with?
BOB: I always like touring with Clutch, they’re great guys and amazing musicians, one of the best bands out there.
BRAD: I’d like to tour with the reformed Police, their humongous crowds.
FRINGE: Where is your favorite place to play?
BOB: In the US, Texas is a lot of fun. New Orleans is a lot of fun.
BRAD: The crowd in Frisco is a lot of fun. It’s just that whenever I play Frisco crazy shit happens. Like for the first five shows, I got food poisoning threw up all over my shoes, and just weird shit. So I’ve always got the jitters. The crowds are really good though.
BOB: In Europe, all of Germany is really good, Scandinavia, London. Last time we played Paris, it was pretty good. Sweden.
BRAD: Australia’s awesome!
BOB: Australia’s so awesome.
BRAD: You know I got sick there and threw up all over my shoes too. I got sick in Melbourne and barfed more than I’ve ever barfed in my life.
FRINGE: What are your feelings about the new album?
BOB: I like it a lot.
BRAD: We can’t wait to start playing it live to see how people react.
BOB: It feels like it’s been a long time since we’ve gone on tour. Not that we didn’t want to, we were having problems with previous labels. Now we’ve actually got a good label behind us. We have a great record buy it!
BRAD: Yeah, BUY IT!
BOB: We try to put together a set list and we have a hard time picking. I counted all the songs we either recorded or demo and it was over 130 original songs.
For more info on the band viisit http://www.myspace.com/fumanchu or http://www.fu-manchu.com
The Matches: Distinguished Gentlemen
Photo by Jennifer Davis
When it comes to live shows there are three kinds of bands: the ones who don’t quite sound as good as their records, the ones who sound the same and the ones who’s live show is beyond what can be captured on tape. Oakland’s The Matches fall into group three.
Not many bands out there can (or will) give the fans in the crowd their its, but The Matches gave, and gave, and gave. The band members were drenched in sweat and had their chests heaving after the first song. The energy, stage prowling, and bands’ smiling faces never flickered off for a moment. The Matches were happy to be up there, happy you came, and happy to prove it.
It’s hard to describe what type of music these young men play, they’re extremely dverse. Trust me, it’s good. The artistic leap forward that Jon Devoto (lead guitar/backup vocals), Shawn Harris (rhythm guitar/vocals), Justin San Souci (bass/ backup vocals), and Matt Whalen (drums) have made between their first record “E. Von Dahl Killed The Locals†and their latest, “Decomposerâ€, shows that these young lads Bay (the bands ages range from 20 to 24) from the East are going to be the band to watch.
This is probably the reason Epitaph Records has them headlining the Epitaph tour this year. We caught up with lead singer Shawn Harris back stage and we were able to ask him a few questions before he and his band mates hit the stage and proved that they were a band worth the hype.
Photo by Jennifer Davis
FRINGE: You guys worked nine different producers on this album, most of them being highly respected artist and musicians in there own right — Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion, Tim Armstrong of Rancid, Mark Hoppus of Blink 182 and plus 44, John Feldmann of Goldfinger, Nick Hexum of 311, Divine Genius Productions, MattRadosevich of Taking Back Sunday, Mike Green and Miles Hurwitz — you’d think with that many different types of brilliance on one project, you’d end up with a record that was all over the place, in a BAD way.
However, just the opposite happens on the bands new record. How did you manage to keep all those forces balanced?
HARRIS: I think it came out all over the place in a good way. Using that many producers wouldn’t have worked with just any set of songs that we have ever written. The theme of the tracks that were coming together when we were demoing the record was a snap shot of our new found gypsy life, if you will. We recorded our first album in garages and basements in the bay. We signed to Epitaph Records and suddenly we’re kinda through out into the van and on to the highways, a different city every night, scraping-by by sleeping on different peoples floors. So, all the songs were constructed in various places, even different countries. We went over seas a number of times during our first record. I can’t think of two songs that were written in the same place really. We also met a great more deal of people from around the world and absorbed a lot. I feel this record is written from less of one voice than we’ve done before. It feels like it’s speaking from a collection of different stand points, especially the lyrics. So, working with so many producers made sense to do on this one.
FRINGE: Did you know what producer you wanted to work on each song or did they pick?
HARRIS: When we were beginning the process of pick a producer to do the record with we were feeling confined and caged by having to select a (single) producer. We had a lot of options from all the touring and meeting a lot of people we wanted to work with. We love the style of all those guys but wanted the record to be broader. We had about thirty demos for the album and sent them all out to the guys we wanted to work with. A few weeks later each producer got back to us with the different tracks they wanted to do. We had an idea of who we wanted to work on each song and most of them turned out to want the songs we imagined them doing.
FRINGE: I keep hearing the term “commotion promotion†in the press about you. What is that?
HARRIS: That’s our cute little term for playing outside of shows. When we began promoting ourselves, flyers weren’t working out for us, they would just end up in the gutter. The problem there is you need people to recognize your band name. We were just a local band that wasn’t playing big shows, no one knew who we were. So, we started taking our acoustics and playing outside of big shows, like playing outside of the Warfield during an Alkaline Trio show. So, as the fans started to exit the building we were outside playing and yelping, running around. That coupled with flyers got us some name recognition. Name recognition is what you need to get the ball rolling. We did that for a few times a week for a couple years while we were building up and starting to sell out local shows. We’d play UC Berkley, Telegraph, outside of record stores. It became something we were known for. To stop doing it didn’t feel right. We still do it on national tours. At first it was just a promotional tool but now it’s something that sets up apart from other bands. It helps us to keep building.
Photo by Jennifer Davis
FRINGE: A lot of big names in the music industry seem to be championing your band. There is a lot of talk about The Matches being the next important thing in music. It’s almost as if you’re being asked to pick up and carry the banner of East Bay punk. How does that make you feel, being such a young band or does it feel that way to you guys?
HARRIS: I never thought about it that way. If we weren’t so far along on our next album already we might feel a lot of pressure. I escape that by constantly writing. We try to surround ourselves with bands that are better than us. To be around people who can do what we do better than we do it. It helps to have the bar high, to feel like you’re not on the top of the hill or the top of your game, and I don’t feel we are. I think we have so far to go before we are writing the greatest songs we are going to write.
Something Vicious For Tomorrow #2
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you most likely are aware that The Police — one of the most influential bands of the ’80s — reunited for their first tour in over 20 years with a kickoff performance at last month’s 49th Annual Grammy Awards. This is just one example of what appears to be the latest trend in the music biz – old bands getting back together. Recently, Rage Against the Machine, Smashing Pumpkins, Alice in Chains, and Dinosaur Jr. have joined the ranks of Sting and Co. and decided to reunite.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not here to rag on these bands (well, not all of them). I’m simply here to pose a question: Are band reunions truly “for the fans,” or are they just a cheap, shabby ploy to make a buttload of cash?
Like it or not, most bands call it quits for one reason only – turbulence amongst its members. So, one would first have to wonder, why, after all these years of distention and hatred, have these musicians suddenly decided to regroup? And based on these reasons, are the reunions valid? Should we care? And most importantly, should we support them?
The Police aside (come on, everyone’s excited about this one), most band reunions just reek of capitalism. While making some scrilla doing what you love is in no way reprehensible, bands who try to play off the “we’re doing it for the fans” bit while clearly just cashing in, come off shallow.
As expected, when the Sex Pistols first reunited in 1996, a cry of “SELLOUT” was heard ’round the world. But was this accusation justified? Absolutely not. Front man Johnny Rotten made it disturbingly clear that the Sex Pistols reunion was strictly for the cash.
They didn’t care, or pretend to care about the fans, they just needed some money.
On the extreme opposite end of the spectrum, however, we have the Dead Kennedys. The band claims that the reunion was purely for artistic reasons, though anyone with just two semifunctioning brain cells can see otherwise. In 1998, DK members DH Peligro, East Bay Ray, and Klaus Flouride sued founding member Jello Biafra for back royalties and for use of the Dead Kennedy’s name and song rights. Eventually, the court sided with the band, and they immediately reformed (sans Biafra, naturally), began touring, and selling their songs to various companies for use in commercials?!?!?! Naturally, this was all for the fans. Having Dead Kennedys without Jello Biafra is like having the Dave Matthews Band without Dave Matthews. It’s just incomprehensible.
So, what then, is to be made of the recent resurrection of bands like Iggy and the Stooges, New York Dolls, The Cars, Alice in Chains - bands that are back, but for one reason or another, without key original members? The thought of the Stooges without Dave Alexander’s thudding bass may seem despicable, but his replacement – Minutemen and Firehose bass god Mike Watt – breathed new life into a band that didn’t quite receive the recognition it deserved the first time out. Sadly the same can’t be said for a Johnny Thunders/Arthur Kane-less New York Dolls. And Alice in Chains without Layne Staley, and The Cars without Ric Ocasek?? It is just plain blasphemy.
As both consumers and music fans, should we support these reunions? The answer, it appears, is simple: Who cares if we should or shouldn’t, we’re going to support them anyways.
There are always going to be those of us who long for nostalgia. There are always going to be those of us that love when one of our favorite bands reunites. There are always going to be those out there who just can’t get out of the ’80s or ’90s, making reunion concerts by some of those eras’ most popular bands always be in vogue.
The Pixies, Dinosaur Jr., Stooges and Descendents were all enormously talented bands who are still capable of sounding as good these days as they did back in their heydays.
I suppose bands are going to continue to reunite, no matter what I think, though my “music morals” may keep my level of skepticism high. Part of me wants to flip the bird to money hungry bands that reunite, but another part of me really wants to be in the front row when the Police come to my town. It’s a moral dilemma that will no doubt continue to rage on. There are those of us who will always yearn for the unattainable – reunions by Dead Milkmen, Husker Du, or The Clash.
And while we know that those will never happen, we always hold out hope. Of course, there are also those out there wishing for that everelusive Creed reunion, to which I say: Be careful what you wish for, retard.
Going Green: Earth Day Lives
From cable shows on celebrities who obsess about recycling, to coalitions of Hollywood stars building solar-powered homes, it’s still in style to be “green.”
Anyone who thought environmental consciousness among celebrity types – and the general American public – would be a passing fancy will likely rethink their views as Earth Day 2007 approaches.
On April 22, groups from elementary school classes to celebutante clicks will observe the day set aside to think about how we all care for the planet.
The environment has long been a favorite cause de celebre for celebrities. And the movement continues to gain ground in Hollywood, where many stars have begun building houses, or converting existing homes, into “green” environments. Some live in houses “off the grid,” meaning they are solar-powered or draw power from other sustainable resources, and not from electric companies. Others have bought their entire families hybrid cars. And in 2005, many actors arrived at the Academy Awards in electric cars, rather than gas-powered limos.
Not all of us can afford to revamp our houses into total green environments. Many of us can’t even justify the extra thousands of dollars to purchase a hybrid vehicle. But there are ways regular folks can do their part on a daily basis. Here are some ideas:
– You may think recycling is going on in every household in the country. You would be wrong. No one knows for sure just how much waste Americans generate each year, or how much of it is recycled. But most experts agree the amount of waste is increasing and that recycling isn’t keeping pace. Recycling really is one of the easiest ways to do your part for the environment.
– Leave the car at home one day a week and bicycle to work – if work is a reasonable distance from home. Not only are you helping the environment by reducing vehicle emissions that day, you’re doing something good for your health as well. If biking isn’t an option, consider organizing an office carpool.
Again, while you’re helping the environment, you’ll also be saving on gas expense, wear and tear on your vehicle and the aggravation of driving every day.
– Every home should have at least one flash light for emergencies. That’s millions of households, millions of flashlights and millions of batteries, most of which are not the kind you can recharge. Replacing your battery-powered flashlight with one powered by kinetic energy is not only green, it ensure you’ll never be left in the dark by dead batteries. For $19 to $39, you can pick up a NightStar Renewable Energy Flashlight, the original battery-free flashlight, at Ace Hardware, REI Sporting Goods or Target stores, through Orvis catalog retailers and other online outlets. Or, go to www.appliedinnotech.com to learn more.
– Make appreciation for our natural heritage a part of your family vacations. Instead of going to a theme park or tropical destination, consider taking the family to a National Park or monument. For just $50, you can buy a National Parks Pass that provides admission to any of hundreds of national parks charging an entrance fee. The pass is good for the pass holder and anyone accompany the holder in a private vehicle, according to the National Parks Service.
To learn more, go to www.nationalparks. org or call (888) 467-2757 (GO-PARKS). Courtesy of ARA Content
A Living Room Of A Different Shade
The opening of The Main ARTery’s February exhibition saw a full house — or at least a full living room. Gallery owners Lorri-Marie and Rob Jenkings converted a portion of their 1940’s Art Deco home into a unique, inviting space for artists to congregate and share their work with each other and the public. Their “Go Figure” exhibition displayed an eclectic collection of media ranging from photography to cast glass and everything in between. The opening reception for this collection of work celebrating the human form was held the afternoon of March 3 and featured wonderful art, great company and plenty of wine.
Lorri-Marie and Rob like to see that those attending openings at The Main ARTery are engaged in the art. To make sure that guests are taking part in the experience and not just looking in from the outside, all guests are invited to vote for their picks in the categories of: Most Thought Provoking, Most Humorous, Most Creative, of course Best in Show and Most Disturbing, a crowd favorite. All categories have their first- and second-place winners with a bit of every artist’s favorite muse, a bottle of wine, going to each.
Top honors for Best in Show went to Kristen Cumings for her work, “This Little Light of Mine” with “Coquette” by Vanessa Barrett taking second place.
This unique venue is fun and charming.
The event was frightfully lacking in the stress and pretentiousness one typically finds at a gallery exhibition opening and drew visitors from well over an hour away.
The relaxed atmosphere inspires open discussion about the art on display. The space gets crowded quickly but at no time is it ever uncomfortable. When you do need a breath of fresh air there is large drive and beautiful back yard which Lorri-Marie and Rob welcome their guests to explore.
Lorri-Marie and Rob do what so many artists only wish they could; they live surrounded by art. Their home/gallery is located in a lazy neighborhood at 453 West J Street in Benicia. The gallery is usually open Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is always a wonderful collection of art on display from different disciplines and the gallery owners are very friendly, welcoming any and all art lovers into their space to celebrate and enjoy art.
Information about The Main ARTery and its’ current exhibition can be found at the studio’s Web site, www.themainarterygallery.com
Show Review: Michael Franti & Spearhead
VENUE: Slims
CITY: San Francisco, CA
DATE: February 16, 2007
Clouds of colored smoke waft up towards the vaulted ceilings, past detailed paintings on the walls of San Francisco’s classic concert hall, The Warfield. The black stage decorated with arrangements of orange, red, pink, and yellow tropical flowers, mixed with jungle greenery. Suddenly, a large red backdrop unrolled, displaying a huge peace symbol. The crowd raised their hands, forming a sea of waving peace signs as Michael Franti and Spearhead took the stage. Spearhead, a legendary alternative hip-hop group from Oakland, is made up of five band members — Carl Young [bass], Dave Shul [guitar], Manas Itene [drums], Raleigh J. Neal [keyboards] and the group’s creator and lead singer, Michael Franti.
PHOTO: Courtesy
The band released its first album — “Home” — in 1994. The following 13 years brought four more albums, a label change, and even a name change.
Franti is well-known locally for producing San Francisco’s Power to the Peaceful Festival, an annual event which allows open discussion about world events, while featuring live music, yoga, holistic health education, and many informational booths on topics ranging from September 11 conspiracies to animal rights. Franti, an open peace supporter, is a driving force behind the Bay Area movement.
The crowd is made up of many races and ages with a stunning variety in clothing styles. Men in dress shirts stood shoulder-to-shoulder with young women whose hair has been crafted into dirty dreadlocks. Strangers danced with each other while passing around drinks, food, and smokes. Security had quite a job on their hands as there were hundreds of people forcing their way towards the stage.
The night saw performances from artists ranging from poets and spoken-word performers to a reggae-loving DJ, and even a self-taught musician whose influences range from The Grateful Dead to Bobby McFerrin.
The peace-themed event showcased two of the winners of Spearhead’s “Letter to the President” contest, which called on today’s concerned citizens to write to President Bush describing their feelings on the United States’ involvement in Iraq.
A local Vietnamese girl, Phuong Tran, told her horrifying tale of escaping Vietnam on a boat when she was a child and being separated from her father for 18 years. Other winning letters included a curse-filled demand for a return of our troops, and an 8-year-old’s suggestion that the war be fought with “water balloons. You know, the really big ones…”
A standout moment of the night came when the show’s opener, Keller Williams, the fore mentioned self-taught musician, performed one of his infamous cover songs, The Tokens’ 1961 hit “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” Standing barefoot, just as Franti would do a few hours later, Williams belted his high-pitched tones, “Near the jungle, the mighty jungle…” Williams moved between his numerous guitars and his looping machine, and even created a hybrid jazzy-scat sound mixed with hip-hop beatboxing using only his mouth. As his set progressed, he performed a cover of The Grateful Dead’s “Brown-Eyed Women” and an impressive collection of his own songs.
The night moved steadily on and it was now time for the main-event.
The lights dimmed. The symbolic backdrop was raised. The crowd cheered. Young’s bass line began and the rest of the group followed suit. The lights shifted rapidly from bright yellows to greens to reds. The capacity audience screamed their heads off while singing along with Franti’s politically charged and socially conscious lyrics. Playing songs from their newest album, “Yell Fire!”, along with classics from their previous releases; Spearhead kept a hold of its’ audience up until the very last note.
Show Review: Will Haven
VENUE: The Blue Lamp
CITY: Sacramento, CA
DATE: March 15, 2007
Will Haven returned in full force to its loyal fans after approximately three years from its last show at the Capitol Garage where singer Grady said farewell to the scene. The band announced its triumphant return with the first show back at the Boardwalk in Jan. 2006. Jeff Irwin (guitar) Mike Martin (bass) Mitch Wheeler (drums) and Grady proved they were back with a vengeance.
Photo by Brian Hanks
After that show the band received acclaim from the Metal world with articles in Kerrang, The Sac Bee, and more. After a stint in Europe, seeing sold-out crowds, the band quickly announced that it signed with Bieler Bros Records and would be heading into the studio to record its fourth album.
After just one year back, fans were amped up for what the future held for one of the most popular, and underrated, underground metal bands out of Sacramento.
In the midst of recording its album, the band announced it would be heading to Europe once again. However, soon after this announcement came an even bigger bout of news.
“The big announcement in the Will Haven camp is that Grady has had to limit his time with Will Haven to concentrate on his family and career.
There are always rumors about band members leaving so we want to set the record straight,” the band posted on its MySpace page.
Photo by Brian Hanks
“Grady had originally left the band three years ago because he was just burned out, as we all were at the time. After a few years we decided to get together and do some shows, and perhaps put out a new record. Everything came together quickly and we began doing a UK tour and writing some of the most amazing music we have ever done. Most people think that Will Haven is our only job, that is so far from the truth. This band is a creative outlet for us, it doesn’t pay our bills to support our families. Touring for us is merely vacations at this point, but being creative is the most important thing to us. So keeping this band together has been a hard struggle sometimes due to financial strains on us personally… Grady has had to take a job opportunity to make sure his wife and two beautiful children are very well taken care of… He is our brother, our best friend and is continuing helping with the band… He is helping with the new record and if he has time will sing on a few songs.”
To replace Grady, the band turned to its friend Red Tape frontman Jeff Jaworski. When the UK promoters found out Grady was no longer in the band they canceled most of its shows. However, Will Haven still had some dates planned to tour with its friends the Deftones in Europe.
Before it hit the road with the new singer in tow, the band played an impromptu show at Sacramento’s Blue Lamp, kind of a test to the hometown fans that Jeff was the right man for the job. It was also another farewell to Grady.
People came from all over California to pack the small, dark venue. The anticipation mounted as the band prepared for its set. Before the crowd could brace itself, the band exploded into their first song. With the first few screams, Jeff Jaworski proved his place on stage. Another addition was a second guitarist — Lance Jackman of EIGHTFOURSEVEN. The group played a barrage of songs with enough energy to power the entire state.
Photo by Brian Hanks
The crowd was hyped and security was called in to attempt at containing the pit, but as soon as Grady stepped on stage alongside Jeff there was no use trying.
Grady held the mic and the crowd for the last few songs of the set and then disappeared into the darkness.
It was an amazing sight, seeing the two scream those songs together. A whole new phase has taken shape in the Will Haven machine, and it promises to be just as strong as it ever was.
With the new album being released this summer, and currently on tour in Europe, the band seems to have a lot in store for its fans.
So be prepared.
A Sideshow Of Color
Every second Saturday in Sacramento, artists have an opportunity to show off their talents at numerous galleries around town. Art, music and a good vibe are what you get, so it’s no wonder the event has gained momentum over the last year, each month gaining more crowds and more artists.
Photo by Charlie Hanks
With promises of live music and fire dancers, I headed over to SideShow Studios on Freeport in the South Land Park of Sacramento for the February art show.
Sideshow Studios is a tattoo shop with walls adorned in local artists’ endeavors. From mixed media art, to graffiti style paintings, even on skateboards, to Escher-esque pen drawings by exhibition artist Melinda Quist.
Photo by Charlie Hanks
The studio offers a new twist to the word gallery with an atmosphere being divergent, yet laid back and inviting, especially for those who love the air of a tattoo shop. With the droning sound of a tattoo gun, patrons clad in piercings and body art, a comfy large couch, hospital gurneys as tables and a live band, it was just my speed.
The tattoo artists themselves have art displayed throughout the shop.
Artist Matt Marsango’s paintings feature urban/ graffiti-style art with vivid colors and thick lines. Spray and acrylic paints are his utensils at expression. My favorite is a crooked graffiti rose, bent and blooming with a spray painted background. It is raw and stunning.
Photo by Charlie Hanks
Artist C!NDER has some pieces capturing robots in all sizes and predicaments. Her pieces are brightly colored and whimsical. I contemplated purchasing a piece to add to my son’s nursery.
What kid doesn’t love Robots? She also had one painting with a girl in space invoking ’50s retrospection.
C!nder and Matt painted up some skateboard decks as well that definitely had me drooling.
Exhibited artist Melinda Quist’s work was featured in the back gallery of the studio. A small room for such a colossal artist. Her pieces varied from Escheresque dimensional pen drawings to charcoal pieces of affliction. Her pen drawings on white vinyl are hard to describe in words other than utterly intense. Quist’s long lines and dimensional perspectives are amazing. Detail is key to this artist and her talent is striking. I was caught up in the strokes of a piece featuring a woman holding her own eyes in stretched out arms in front of a crowd.
Photo by Charlie Hanks
Thought provoked, impressed I was completely surprised at the price of the piece. All the artists keep their pieces very affordable!
The next event is April 14th and will feature art from C!nder, Mark Fox and Nicholas Caesar.
Sideshow displays their art all the time, so even if you can’t make it that day, you can stop by and gawk at the artists amazing work from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. any day but Tuesday.
When Looking Too Hot Becomes Detrimental
It was one of those Saturday party nights when the stars were all aligned just right and my angels were ready for a long, rigorous, graveyard shift, keeping me safe the entire time.
I should’ve realized how smoking hot the chick was posing back at me from the tall mirror in my room on my way out, but my heart was a little wound up from all the anticipation and my eyes must’ve been glazed over just enough from spending a long session at the salon. I tried to tone down my outfit for sake of my newly gorgeous hair, but my body seemed to be on a hardcore mission to display every natural curve and angle! My intention of keeping the busty girls tucked conservatively under a black, flirty tee and flats instead of heels just weren’t in the cards.
I arrived at the kegger pre-party in shiny-blonde hair, a plunging, crosscut blouse, dark jeans, winter-white heels, a long pearl necklace, and fiery red lips. Those lips were my ultimate ticket into attention heaven. By the initial looks and helpless gawking, the “damn, girl…and ‘hottie pa-tottie!’” you could say I was walking sex disguised as a 25-year-old single woman.
My party friends on this Saturday night were a rowdy bunch of young men, most of them fabulously good looking, all but one single, and each of them very ready to get very trashed. Luckily my best friend joined us at the bar, my gorgeous, brunette heterosexual partner, in her excited smile and piercing blue eyes. When our eyes met I knew she was thinking, “Good God, girl, this night is going to be a wild ride. I got your back.”
The hours that followed were nothing less than a smorgasbord of stupid drunk and very sexually scandalous behavior. An explosion of Jaeger Bombs on a generous open tab had most of the men up in arms and losing every ounce of self-control. Basically, they turned into animals. Although I was having a most excellent time, I couldn’t help but feel like their lack of decencies were ravishing my outfit and practically cramping my far too glamorous style!! In short, they were making me look bad! At one point we were all clustered in a tangled mess of freaky dancing, and hands grabbing parts. I tried to scream, but it only sounded like a sexual squeal so the men became even more aroused!!
Open mouth kisses were circling around like bees on meat, and one guy even had the nerve of asking me to sit on his lap so he could get a drink faster. With a lingering, child-molester smile, I returned him a look that could only mean he must be the most desperate form of a man I had ever come in contact with.
I made a lengthy cell phone call outside and puffed away at a much-needed Marlboro Light. I had to hide behind the building to achieve the only private 15 minutes of the entire night and had to ignore three calls from the gorgeous hunk trying to pursue me inside. The breather brought me somewhat back to Earth and I retrieved some of my smarter senses.
Okay, firstly, what the hell was I doing in there? If those men are animals and I am right there with them, than I, too, am just as much an animal! How did this happen? I’m a woman, for God’s sake! I’m in there being vulgar and flighty and far too smitten with average Joes that I wouldn’t even think about hugging on a sober afternoon! Secondly, why the hell did I even leave the house looking so damn sexy?! I knew the crowd tonight would have little to no real class. They are my friends, yes, and I love them, yes, but they are the youngest of men and love getting two sheets to the drunken wind while the night is still far too premature. Keg stands before heading out doesn’t fit into the typical “pre-drinking” limitations. These fools like it rough and dirty, and I should’ve at least had the decency, for everyone’s sake, to ditch the fire red lipstick in the car.
I am declaring right here and now: Women, don’t always look as hot as you can! Tone your beauty down when the situation calls for it. Drunk, young men CAN NOT usually distinguish a woman’s beauty from her sexuality, and to them: Hot woman=highly sexual.
I will cease showing up to these kinds of parties and going-out adventures with a “loaded gun” so to speak.
Last weekend I over-dressed for an insane beer pong party and had to yell at some creepy, drunk dude for rubbing his part on my back!
After this weekend, the lesson is far too clear: It’s time to start helping my angels out.
Echo Of Bullets
Near the gritty, broken sidewalk of San Francisco’s 8th and Brannan Streets, a tiny theater with colorful blue mural stands in a rickety wooden building under an interstate overpass.
Past parking lots filled with piles of scrap metal and recyclables is a small entrance into a snazzy artist’s spot. Inside, red walls filled with art lead into a darker space. All that can be seen under the dim lights are shadows of fans watching and softly cheering as a long electric-guitar chord wanes in the distance. The outline of a brown-hat brim appears, followed by a flash of a cherry-red drum set as the music begins to blare and a screaming voice shouts, ‘taus puso…’ Tagalog for, “from the heart.”
Echo of Bullets is a heavy-metal, punk-rock band with a message to spread about political killings going on in the Philippines. The band formed out of a mutual love for heavy-metal music between friends — Vallejo natives, vocalist, Rupert Estanisloa and, guitarist, Joshua Castro.
” When I was a 15-year-old, able to go to shows, I went with my friend Rupert. He came from the Philippines and was exposed to a life that was kind of rough. We reconnected some years later and decided that we should start a band and that it would be kind of cool to merge some of the elements about the music that we kind of like with heavy metal and to infuse it with very leftist revolutionary leftist politics,” says Castro, a tall medium toned Filipino American with dark eyes.
A small, tanned man with black hair and round eyes stands bundled up in a blue hoodie and jeans. He looks anxiously up Castro Street as he waits for bus number 24. He sniffles as he turns back and looks at the store behind him, Ritz Camera. He works there making more money than he could ever hope to make in the Philippines.
“I couldn’t get a job. Like the only job I could get was when I was 13 years old making yo-yos. They paid you 200 pesos a week and my meth dealer was also my boss so sometimes my paychecks would turn into drugs,” says Estanisloa, reflecting on his life in the Philippines, “I wish the Philippines was a place where you could get a job. But it’s just not like that.”
A crowded bus stops in front of Estanisloa. He sighs as the bus makes a hissing, decompressing noise and opens up its doors. He inches past the crowd of commuters spilling out of the bus and grabs hold of a metal pole as it begins to jerk down Castro Street.
He gets off at a nearby high school and walks across a puddle-splattered parking lot into a warm school building.
Sitting down he flips through the pages of a text book on unions.
Originally from the Philippines, Estanisloa saw violence and abject poverty first hand. He remembers playing on dirty streets with no sidewalks and watching rats make their way down canals filled with milky fluids. Out of those times of hardship, however, he also remembers the excitement he felt when going to see his favorite Filipino punk rock bands perform live. He now carries his passion for music along with his memories.
“A lot of the songs are influenced by what I have seen in the Philippines and how I grew up there. The rampant abuse of power, police brutality,” he says.
Echo of Bullets, along with a long list of progressive Filipino artists, is saying through their music that it is time to stop the political killings in the Philippines. The tour is called “Stop the Killings” and features live music along with clips and images of graphic brutality from the documentary and the band’s name sake, “Echo of Bullets.”
“Stop the killings is important because not only does it raise awarness on the crimes being committed but it also shows people that, dude, this is Filipino art in 2007,” Estanisloa said. “This is Filipino music in 2007.”
